Safety-tube and pop-off valve.



W. H. MONUTT.

SAFETY TUBE AND 1010FF VALVE.`

APPLIUATION FILED AUGnlB, 1907.

Patented Aug, 16, 1910 Y 'l IIVE'HQI? p WHMWH By lbis Attorney; l A i mucca Witnesses WILLIAM H. MqNUTr, or Nnw'YonK, N. Y., AssrGNoR, BY iunsNE ASSIGNMENTS, rro Tun Meneer NoN-exrnoervn Nro. co., or New YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY-TUBE AND POP-OFF VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A110'. 16, 1910 Application filed August 16, 1907. Serial No. 388,805.

To all whom it muy coincer/of y Bc it known that I, Truman ll. MGNUTT,

a ritt/.en of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county ot New York and State of Xcw York, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in SafetyrlCubes and Pop-Ott' Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances forprelventing `the explosion of confined volatile 4forated metal, such screenusually, orin the best forms extending downward in the forni of a cylinder or tube into the container.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety device of this character, in which the perforated tubular nien'lber has a reniovablo closure,provided with safety devices for permitting exit in case ot undue pressure yet preventing en trance ot. llame therethrough.

In the arrompanying drawings, ,Figure l.A`

shows the safety device in longitudinal section. Fig. is a top-view. Fig. 3 is a top view with the tube cap removed. Fig. d s a fragmentary 'section showing the upper portion of the tube and the collar. Fig. 5`is a similar' view of a modification. Fig. 6 is a diametrioal section through the tube cap showing the pop-olf valve open5 Fig. T is a perspective view of the seam interlocking strip. Fig. 8 Vis a. transverse section tl'nough the tube showing Vthe interlocking strip in the lassembled position betere closing. Fig.

y 9 is asimilar view showing the tube closed and the interlocking strip clenched. l `g. l() shows another 'form of interlocking strip in jits assembled position. i Fig. ll is a similar view with the interlocking strip closed; `and "Figs l2, Qt-Bund 14 show separately the three ldiophragms which are mounted in the cap.

ln the drawings, 2l; 'losignates the wall of any sniabletank, .f'essel or other container designedfto hold explosive fluids, such as gasolene., naphtha, and the like, and provided with an opening through Which `my Vresistino' corrosion.

2() which is preferably made o'l. tinely perforatd metal, either brass or copper, as best` This is preferably of relatively heavy sheet metal of about 20 gage, with the perforations preferably oi about 100 mesh, the tube being preferably closed at the bottom `with similar perforated metal, such perfor-ations or apertures bein prfatie" ly llame-proof, thatis, they Wi prevent heignition ot vapor on one side from Haine on the other side. The tube shouldbe of such length that the aggregate area ot the small perforations will be about twice the area of the tube bore. The tube mightliie drawn into shape, but it being very ditiicult to draw a tube oit' the length required, it` is preferably formed from the sheet ot finely perloi'atedsheet nietalvturned into a cylinder, the meeting edges tl'iereof being securely intcrloclual by suitable means such as the seam lool; shown in Y to 1U and hereafter described. The tube 2O is secured at its upper end to a collar 21-preierably of cast iron, this collar having an annular iiange 22 at its outer 0nd adapted to engage tightly with the outer `tace olf the contailwr wall und boing srl-ew-threadod at @Sito permit the rollar to be svrewod into the p than that of tho threaded opening into which thel collar 2l screws to permit the insertion and removal of the tube. rlhe tube has its lower end closed preferably by a perforated end disk To hold this in positionthe disk has downwardly turned margins. The end `ot. the tubo is crimped inward upon the [lange ot' the Pap thus t'ormed apd thus roadilyl secures the und member in position when soldered and holds the same against being blown outwzlrd by an explosion Within the tube. p l y 'In Figs. "l and `l thohrollar il is shown as reduerd at its lowdr end to a depth greater `than the thickness ot the metal of .tube 20 so that the outside dianieterotf the tube `will he le :-r"than the threaded portion "33. The tube" is secured in position by rivets Qt?. These rivets also "form stops against which the ring plate 27 will bear. This ring'plate is screwed into the threaded bore 28 of the collar.

. in Fig. 5 Where the tube 47 has its upper v tom-fof the tube. cleaned, which is permitted by its easy reportion 48 screw threaded `and screws into the' threaded bore 29 of a collar 30." .The tube canbe locked against rotation on the collar by a rivet 31. rlphe threaded portion 48 -may be formed'by crimping the upper end of the tube to form thejthread. The

vtube being made of relatively1 thick material is :rigid and cannot become bent or buckled in theI ordinary handling of the container'. Asrit is not made of mesh or metal fabric it does not collectoil or 4the hydrocarbon products within its meshes, and therefore cannot be burned out or become incandescent, as thereis nothing retained therein which will ignite, .and the tube, being a finely pcrforatedplate, would not become ineandescent even if there Were a flame at the bot- Being rigid itmay be moval from the container. Being of sheet metal itmay be attached more firmly to the oollar`21 than it could be if made of wire gauze.l

In order to protect the tube from cont-act with the sponts of filling cans and derange- Inent and damage therefrom I provide the ring 27 above referred to This has an irregular central opening as shown in'Fig. 3.

i vThe ring plate prevents f unnels or 'spouts from contacting with and damaging the inner Wall of the tube .and-the irregularities of the opening provide air spaces around an inserted funnel or "spout, permittingescape of air from the vessel as the liquid is poured in. The opening of the collar Qt is closed by a hollow cap 51 that is threaded at 32 to screw into the collar, and is provided with a hexagonal iange engageable by a wrench. The upper end of the cap 5l is provided with openings' 34 that are closed by a suitablepop-ott' valve. ln the form shown, the valve 35 has a stein 36 s'liding through a central opening in the cap :to form means to open and lclose the apertures 84. A coiled spring 37 on the stern inside the cap serves to normally retain the valve 'in'it-s closed-position.` Abnormal pressure Within the tube 20, how ever, willcause the valve to open and permit escape of vapor until 'equilibrium is restored; It is also desirable to provide means .whereby if by any chance the vessel is subjected to heat, thus increasing the pressure Within the Lcontainer 'and the chances of -an explosion, a larger exit may be provided for the vapor in thetube than Will be provided by the apertures 34. To that end I have provided the upperl end of the cap with a plate 38 which forms the ltop portion of the cap, and which is secured tothe outer portion by means of a fusible ring 39. Tleat of a certain degree pressure of the vapor generated in the eontainer.

@ne of the most important objects of my invention is to provide a means' for preventing any chalice for the back firing of fiame down into the tube E20, thus safeguarding thetnbe from any possibility of 'an explosionlthereiu which would' tend to damage the tube or'destroy its attachment. `to the container. Vhile the finely perforated metal tube 'under normal cireun'lstauces will prevent. any explosion, yet under abnormal circlnustamres, as for instance where the low mixture of a high degrecof explqsiveness has :uzcumulated at the bottom of thc com taincr, there is a chalice that the mixture will ignite and explode within the tube and that in some'way it will open the tube, and in' doing so, ignite the vapor within the con-l tainer itself. To prevent all possibility of this I provide. the cap 5l with a finely apertnred diaphragm e3. llihile this may be of finely perforated tlame-proof metal, yet I have found in prac-tice that for this 'purpose copper or brass gauze is a tl1oroughly.re. liablematerial, for the vreason that the arca of thedisk is small and that though the gauze is weak yet by protecting it on either side by apertured diaphragms -l-l and 42,

teeted from damage. The protective diaphragms 4l and l2 are made of relatively heavy metal and yare perforated with any desirable number of comparatively large taper-tures. In order to receive this set' ot diaphragms, the interior of the cap is formed with a shoulder, being shown as cut away at l0, and screw threaded. thus toru| ing a shoulder 40. ',Thev diaphragm l-l is `put in place against this shoulder. The gauge disk t3 is then placed againstthe diaphragm 4l and. the final threaded dia phragm l2 is screwed into place. I separate the three diaphragms by rings 4A. The diaphiagn'l plate 42 is screwed up tightly against the lowermost of these rings, thus holding. the gauze disk absolutely tight.

The effect ofthis construction is that the outlet 'of the tube itself provided with a perforated or gauze screen, which is so .protected by the diaphragms 4l and t2 thatit is not liable to puncture or dis-arrangeA ment from outside, nor can it be blown out. by any explosion from the interior of the tubeJ and thc effect of this diaphragm is that it prevents any llame passing within the tube 20. A flame igniting the escaping va.- por can only bui.. above the cap 51 or above lthe diaphragm 4.! if the plato 38 has been blown otl". It will thus be seen that while under service ronditions, vexplosion within the container ispreveuted not only by the tube Q0 but bythe diaphragm 43; yet that the cap 51 containing this diaphragm is easily removable either for pouring out the con- 4 i ing therconl tainer.' It the cap were `not removable for tents of the container or :for lti this purpose it would be diiiicult to 4fill the container through the diaphragme 4l, `4Q.

- and 43, andthe said` diaphragniswould collect impurities, hydrocarbons, etc., in the space between them and would sooniclog up.' before stated, a tube formed of sheet gauze or sheet metal Whose edges are coniiected by rivets or by solder, is not safe, the

, 't-ube being liable to openif riveted and the solder being liable to melt, if the edges are soldered. In addition it may be said that the tube 20 is required to be of relatively thick and rigid sheet metal. As a ineansot connecting the adjacent edges of the. sheet inet-al tube, I have provided a lock, one form" of the locking strip of which is shown in Fig. i'. ln `this figure, the strip ,45 which is made of comparatively Soft brassand is preferably finely perforated, has its longi- V tudinal edges bent toward each other and the collar :'21, While at its then bent outwardly inopposite directions,

, forming opposed outwardly opening \clian nels 4G. The oppositeedgcs of the tube are fitted into thechannelse as indicated in Fig. 8. yThe channeled portions of the strip are afterward tightly pressed together as shown in Fig. 9 c amping the edge portions 4 of the tube therein. Theistiip being made of soft brass, while the tube is formed of hard metal, such pressing together of the metal of the strip will clench it down upon and `force it into the pcrtorations of the tube and thus act as an additional locking ineans. A modification of this locking strip shown in Fig. 10, in which a strip 50 has its edges benttoward each other, forming opposite channels. 'lliciitubehas its edges bent outwardly in opposite directionslandi` the flanges so formed extend into the channels inthe strip. The channeled portionsjof il striparc tightly pressed together Vas in`-` heated in Fig. A11, closing the tube andsecurely holds the scam throughout its length, the tube being secured,`at `its `upper. end to securely closed by the end dislQ.

It will be seen from the foregoing that `have provided by the arrangement and com-f' biiiation oft' parts hereindescribed, a safety inlet or outlet tube for explosive mixture containersl Whiclrisasily removable `frein the container, which may beeasily cleaned,

which `resists any buckling strain `upon it, which is not liable to become incandescent under an explosion, which may be easily used for filling or pouring out, and particu larly which prevents under all circumstances an explosion Within the safety tube 'or any ignition of Haine Within the safety tube or container, Which4 prevents backfiring into the safety tube, and which `allows of the nection. It is absolutely necessary that there kets or other packing tend to disintegrate ther "end it is;

blowing oli'` of vapor in case of increase of pressure Within the container, of an enlarged opening of the closing cap it the temperature is increased to a dangerous degree.

It will be noted that the material of the tube is of brass or copper or other substantially non-corrosive metal, while `the inaterial of the collar 2l is stated as ,of iron. There is an important function incident to the use of this latter material in this con yplace from any ordinary chance of turning and loosening, but also serves to Vpack the space between ,the cap and the Wall of the e@ container, `thus y absolutely preventing any escapeof vapor in4 this manner. This may at first sight seen an unimportant function but'when it is considered that every portion of my invention is directed to preventingthe escape of explosive vapor under Wrong conf fditions, it will be. seen that the material of 4the-cap is of considerable importance. l `Having described my invention what 1 claim 'is: 10o

l. Avsat'ety device for containers carryin 'yvolatile explosive tiuids, comprising'a tuularportion adapted to extend into said container from tlie outside having its Walls containing minute flame-'proof apertures, the o ening of said tubular portion being pro. vided with a ring-plate having a central `opening `permitting the introductionwof a filling nozzle, and with a removable cap adapted to close the outer end of said tubular portion beyond the said ring plate, said y cap `being hollow and provided with a perforated screen across its 'opening andxwith i, outlets.

. o 2. A. safety device for containers carrying 115 "jvolatile explosive Huidscomprising a tubufiar portion adapted to extend into-said container v:from the outside and hav-ing the Walls perforated with minute tianieeproof` aper tures, thelopening of said tubular portion being provided with a removable cap adapt.V

ed to close the end of said tubular portion, i

said cap being hollow and provided with a perforated screen across its `opeiuing and with outlets,` and with a yalve normally 1,25 heldin `position to close said opening but adaptedto 'open upon pressure from within.

3. A safety device forcontaincrscarrying volatile explosive fluids, coni rising a tubular portion. adapted to exten into said contanel from the outside and having Walls containing minute flame-proof openings, the

[opel'iing` of said tubular portion being pro A"tures, the :openingr of forated plate's `material adjacent to Saidgauze and located vided with a closure adapted to close said opening but to be removed therefrom, said `closure' 4beingprovided With a removable perforatedy screen of -Wire gauze andperof relatively thick and rigid being provided with a4 removable cap adaptedto close the end of said tubular portlon, said cap being hollow and provided with a `perforated screen across its opening and 2 with outlets and with a valve normally held in position to close said opening but adapted to open upon pressure from within, said ea having a plug therein closing the same an .attached to the body of the cap by a fusible 25 com pound to allow the said plug to be blown out.

WILLIAM n. MON UT'r.' Witnesses FRED. J. DOLE, HENRY E. GREENWOOD. 

